The "I know its only February and Mrs Grey is going to scream "Noooooo" but..." transfer thread

ScotHammer

I might be alone here, but before we write him off I think we should give Vlasic a go in his best position, as a number 10 rather than out on the wing.
But if Moyes isn’t interested……..
Also, IMO I don’t like taking defenders from relegated clubs. They may be seen as great bargains, but if they’ve spent a year leaking goals that’s a bad habit we don’t want to go near.

OutcastLondoner

The problem is I'd rather see Benrahma in the number 10 position before Vlasic. Think he's done most of his best work in central positions.

But I am surprised with Vlasic's energy and apparent strength he hasn't been used more in those central positions, either as a 10 or false 9.

Ace of Clubs

ScotHammer said:

I might be alone here, but before we write him off I think we should give Vlasic a go in his best position, as a number 10 rather than out on the wing.
But if Moyes isn’t interested……..
Also, IMO I don’t like taking defenders from relegated clubs. They may be seen as great bargains, but if they’ve spent a year leaking goals that’s a bad habit we don’t want to go near.

We signed Dawson from Watford who had just been relegated, he hasn't done too bad for us.

ASLEFshrugged

Dawson made 28 Premier League appearances for Watford in 2019/20, they leaked 49 goals while he was on the pitch

I think having four different managers might have been a contributing factor...

steve

Only 4

ScotHammer

Not sure Dawson left Watford because they were relegated, more that he couldn’t get in a Championship team. I take your point though Ace!

ASLEFshrugged

Guardian reckons Moyes likes Ollie Watkins although they reckon Villa would want £50m for him so I don't see that happening

They link us again with Forest CB Joe Worrall and reckon Tarkowski will go elsewhere (Newcastle probably)

Another name they throw in is Hull's 21yo LW Keane Lewis-Potter as a replacement for Yarmolenko. Brentford also linked

alderz

Lewis-Potter has been linked for a while, and it does feel like he’s a good fit for our recent recruitment approach too

OldCastleSwift

£50m for Watkins.

£51m for Haaland.

Homegrown tax, that.

I like Watkins. I also like Broja. Both rumoured to be valued at the £50m mark. Would you rather pay that for experience (Watkins) or raw potential (Broja).

alderz

OldCastleSwift said:

£50m for Watkins.

£51m for Haaland.

Homegrown tax, that.

I like Watkins. I also like Broja. Both rumoured to be valued at the £50m mark. Would you rather pay that for experience (Watkins) or raw potential (Broja).

Tbf, that Haaland price is only because of the release clause. Without it, that price would have been 2 or 3 times higher.

I like both of Broja and Watkins. But neither are worth £50m

PrestonHammer

I've seen nothing from either of them that screams buy them for 50 million, it will be a bargain. I'd be looking elsewhere.

OldCastleSwift

From some of the linked names and prices, and assuming that we have the reported £100m budget, I would be happy to see something like:

Areola - £11m
Raum - £25m
Tarkowski - Free
Kamara - Free
Lewis-Potter - £18m
Johnson - £20m
Lingard - Free
Watkins/Broja - £50m

Which would give us a first team squad of:

GK - Areola/Fab
RB - Coufal/Johnson
RCB - Zouma/Dawson
LCB - Ogbonna/Tarkowski
LB - Raum/Cresswell
CM - Rice/Soucek
CM - Kamara/Coventry
RM - Bowen/Johnson
AM - Lingard/Fornals
LM - Lewis-Potter/Benrahma
ST - Watkins/Antonio


£125m spent. Potentially some money back from Vlasic, Diop and Masuaku (£35m for the three?), too.

Easy, this football manager lark

Yeoldhammer

alderz said:

Lewis-Potter has been linked for a while, and it does feel like he’s a good fit for our recent recruitment approach too

Reckon he could be a great Champo buy alongside Worrall if Forest fail to come up.
Hopefully a few sweetners by Hull taking some youngsters from us on loan in the Champo, they did finish 2nd in the U23 league.

OldCastleSwift

Yeoldhammer said:

alderz said:

Lewis-Potter has been linked for a while, and it does feel like he’s a good fit for our recent recruitment approach too

Reckon he could be a great Champo buy alongside Worrall if Forest fail to come up.
Hopefully a few sweetners by Hull taking some youngsters from us on loan in the Champo, they did finish 2nd in the U23 league.

Good point, that. If we're taking their best winger, we could offer someone like Chesters, Oko-Flex or Nevers on a season's loan as a sweetener.

Alese for Worrall, too.

alderz

OldCastleSwift said:

From some of the linked names and prices, and assuming that we have the reported £100m budget, I would be happy to see something like:

Areola - £11m
Raum - £25m
Tarkowski - Free
Kamara - Free
Lewis-Potter - £18m
Johnson - £20m
Lingard - Free
Watkins/Broja - £50m

Which would give us a first team squad of:

GK - Areola/Fab
RB - Coufal/Johnson
RCB - Zouma/Dawson
LCB - Ogbonna/Tarkowski
LB - Raum/Cresswell
CM - Rice/Soucek
CM - Kamara/Coventry
RM - Bowen/Johnson
AM - Lingard/Fornals
LM - Lewis-Potter/Benrahma
ST - Watkins/Antonio


£125m spent. Potentially some money back from Vlasic, Diop and Masuaku (£35m for the three?), too.

Easy, this football manager lark

Whilst I think that this is very unrealistic for us to actually achieve, I do think that you've highlighted a good point about transfer fees. I don't think Watkins / Broja are worth £50m. But I also don't think Lingard is worth £0. If you told me we could have Watkins, Lingard and Tarkowski for £50m I'd think it was a really good deal.

Although I guess the 'free' transfers are never really free with the astronomical signing on fees.

OldCastleSwift

Yeah, it's about the collective cost rather than the individual cost. If we can play the free market well, it gives us a bit more wriggle room when it comes to transfer fees. Ok, we may not want to spend £50m on Watkins, but would be able to if Villa insisted on it and Moyes really wanted him if we're not paying for other positions.

I think Kamara is probably unrealistic, but the others are eminently possible as individual transfers, IMO. For the Championship lads we represent a big step up, but they will also see that Benrahma and, in particular, Bowen have flourished here. Arguably we're a step up for Watkins and Broja too, from where they've been this season, and certainly would be for Tarkowski. Areola and Lingard know the club so should be relatively easy to get done, assuming they want to come.

The part that I have my doubts about is Moyes signing eight players in one window.

IronHerb

I don't see us as a step up for Watkins. One in three (24 in 69) Prem goals over two seasons is a good return and most welcome.

OldCastleSwift

I meant in terms of playing for us over Villa. We will (should) be able to offer him European football next season and potentially the better longer-term prospects of regularly competing at the right end of the table.

He's plenty good enough for us.

IronHerb

👍

Bazshuayi

To be fair, Villa owners are loaded and I think the clubs on an upward curve. So not a bad one to stay at...

As for Watkins, I can see why Moyes would like him.

He plays centrally like Antoni and can hold up well.
He can play out wide like Antonio
He can miss as consistently as Antonio

(actually, I do like Watkins. He's got a bit of an all round forward vibe about him and I think he has capacity to improve quite a bit)

OutcastLondoner

I always thought we should’ve gone after Watkins when he was sold. Considering his performances and what Villa paid in the first place you’d expect them to demand around £50m, just as we’d probably want similar or more for Bowen if we were to even consider selling.

BubblesNeverDies

Maybe he wanted to sign for us all along and his agent said "Just sign there Ollie, it's the bunch in claret and blue".

Bazshuayi

Am I correct in thinking that Watkins and Benni played for Brentford at the same time. If so, that cant be a bad thing understanding wise. I actually would like us to get Watkins...

IronHerb

Yep, they did.

alderz

I'm sure nobody saw this coming, but it's confirmed that Yarmo is leaving

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61420711

IronHerb

Surely not.

Fortuneseeker

Blackburn have activated a one year extension to Diaz's contract, now until 2023.

IronHerb

So they will sell him.

OutcastLondoner

Bazshuayi said:

Am I correct in thinking that Watkins and Benni played for Brentford at the same time. If so, that cant be a bad thing understanding wise. I actually would like us to get Watkins...

Yes. With Mbuemo, Brentford fans called them the BMW.

ASLEFshrugged

Guardian reckon we're working on a £20m bid for Rennes 26yo left footed CB Nayef Aguerd (19 caps for Morocco)

Along with Kalvin Phillips we're looking at James Ward-Prowse. I don't think that's likely, he signed a 5-year deal last year, he's been at Saints since he was a kid and he's captain.